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This study aims to examine the extent to which information asymmetry affects investment efficiency and whether the presence of blockholders moderate this relationship.

We employ the data of firms listed on the Malaysian stock exchange for the period 2010–2018, to compose our sample. Our final sample includes the 100 largest non-financial firms based on market capitalization. Collectively, these 100 companies contribute 84.2% to the total market capitalization (MYR 1,730bn) which is representative of the whole market. The ordinary least squares regressions were used as the main estimation technique. The system generalized method of moments, two-stage least squares and propensity score matching were also used, to address potential endogeneity concerns.

We document a positively significant association of information asymmetry with investment inefficiency. These results imply that information asymmetry reduces investment efficiency and enhances sub-optimal investments. We also document that blockholders negatively moderate the relationship of information asymmetry with investment inefficiency. Further analyses show that investment inefficiency is higher in low-growth firms than in high-growth firms because of higher information asymmetry.

We focus on Malaysia, which is a predominantly common-law Anglo-Saxon country. Graff (2008) documented that the investors are treated differently across legal systems and there are differences between the continental European and Anglo-Saxon countries. La Porta et al. (1999) documented that investors tend to have more legal protection in Anglo-Saxon countries. Therefore, our results may not be generalized to countries with different legal systems.

An important implication of our findings is that stakeholders may encourage the presence of blockholders and give them a voice to weaken the positive relationship between information asymmetry and investment inefficiency.

This study contributes to the contingency literature by investigating the moderating effect of an important governance mechanism, i.e. the presence of blockholders on information asymmetry-investment efficiency nexus. Despite being important, this moderating effect has been largely overlooked in the literature. Our study contributes by providing an understanding of how blockholders can influence investment decisions, offering insights for academics, investors and policymakers focused on improving the efficacy of investment decisions and governance structure.

The advent of robotics and automation technologies was augmenting firm initiatives to attain competitive advantage. From a resource-based view perspective, human-led capabilities were important to operate with technology resource base of an organisation. This was evident for both manufacturing as well as services firms. However, employees as an individual confronted technology anxiety (TA) when they were working with new technologies like robotics and automation technologies. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to examine the factors causing TA.

Given the novelty of this research study context a qualitative exploratory method was designed. For this research study, the data collected was through in-depth interviews conducted through open-ended semi-structured questionnaire. The data was collected from 62 frontline employees who were working with robotics and automation-based technologies in manufacturing firms. The authors applied thematic content analysis on collected data for analysis.

Technology anxieties ranged from fear of complete inability to learn new technologies, failure to learn new technologies properly, incapability to implement the learned skills and job loss to younger technology savvy employees. Finally, there was anxiety over job loss as automation and robotic technologies over the years was expected to erode the employment of human workforce altogether.

The author undertook the research study based upon the TA perspective advocated by Meuter et al. (2003) and Yang and Forney (2013). Furthermore, this research study in the context of robotics and automation-based technologies in the manufacturing sector applied the mental accounting theory (Thaler, 1999) and technology self-efficacy perspective (Huffman et al., 2013).

Managers involved in the implementation of robotics and automation-based technologies were required to address TA of employees. Fear of job loss had to be addressed specially in a country like India. Anxiety regarding the ability to learn to work with robotics and automation technologies also was needed to be addressed by managers through adequate training and time for preparation. The benefits of robotics and automation-based technologies for employees as well as organisations have to be ascertained through open communication between the management and the frontline employees.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was one of the first empirical research studies which deliberated regarding TA in the context of frontline workers working with robotics and automation-based technologies in the manufacturing sector. This research study was based upon a combination of varied perspectives ranging from micro foundations theory, TA, mental accounting theory and technology self-efficacy perspective.

The escalating instances of financial distress (FD) in corporate houses across the globe, call for immediate attention from policymakers, practitioners and academics equally. This study aims to examine how board gender diversity (GD) and information disclosures (ID) interact with each other to drive FD.

The authors apply dynamic panel data analysis on a sample of 255 Indian-listed firms from 2016 to 2023 to arrive at the econometric results.

The main findings indicate that while ID exacerbates distress, GD reduces it. In addition, GD also interacts with ID to curtail the adverse effects of disclosures on FD. Therefore, GD acts like a stone that kills two birds simultaneously, first by reducing the distress directly and second by limiting the negative effects of disclosures on distress.

This study extends the understanding of the implications of GD and complements existing research by investigating its direct and indirect impact on FD. It builds on the analysis to propose that GD can foster resilience against adverse FD situations. The findings should apply to other emerging nations after careful consideration of country-specific factors.

As consumers interact with various small businesses, they develop a mental image, called a prototype, to represent what small businesses are as a generalized, conceptual category. However, prior research has said little about what this small business prototype entails. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore consumers’ perceptions of the prototypical small business by identifying common attributes among small businesses that differentiate them from large businesses.

This study undertakes a thorough review of the relevant consumer research literature for the attributes that consumers use to evaluate small businesses. Then, using a contemporary parallel analysis approach, it conducts an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on a sample of 266 university students who were asked to evaluate how common those attributes are of small businesses. A second comparative EFA for large businesses is also conducted.

The EFA reveals two dimensions on which consumers evaluate small businesses: a sincere–authentic dimension and a disruptive–innovative dimension. Specifically, consumers view the prototypical small business to be relatively high on sincere–authentic and moderate on disruptive–innovative dimensions.

Through a comprehensive literature review and exploratory analysis, this study provides a novel understanding of consumers’ conceptualizations of small businesses. In studying the mental image consumers associate with the prototypical small business, this research fills a significant gap in the existing literature and provides important insights for practitioners and researchers alike.